Amazon Planning To Introduce Paid Version Of Alexa, But There Are Roadblocks

The expected launch date of Alexa Plus is June 30, but potential delays are likely as internal concerns about the technology's readiness have been raised.

Microsoft recently introduced Copilot Pro, a premium version of Copilot featuring extra capabilities. Following suit, Amazon is gearing up to unveil a paid version of Alexa, the media has reported. Although Alexa Plus is said to have the enhanced capabilities along with the promise of a more personalised experience, but there's a catch -- users may need to pay for this premium service, says a report Business Insider.

The expected launch date of Alexa Plus is June 30, but potential delays are likely as internal concerns about the technology's readiness have been raised. The Business Insider report added that the underlying technology propelling this upgrade may be referred to as Remarkable Alexa.

The retail giant has started testing with 15,000 external customers to deliver more conversational interactions and a heightened level of customisation, the report noted. Nonetheless, employees with early access to the service have expressed reservations about its current performance.

Paid Alexa Isn't Doing Well?

Amazon employs a recently developed Large Language Model (LLM) codenamed Olympus for Alexa Plus, different from the LLM empowering Alexa. Olympus aims to enhance Remarkable Alexa, focusing on heightened conversational abilities and personalisation compared to Classic Alexa. However, in a preview involving 15,000 users, Amazon discovered that while Alexa Plus demonstrated improved conversational and personalized aspects, it occasionally provided deflective answers and inaccurate information, leading to dissatisfaction from Amazon.

According to a report, the new Alexa grapples with accuracy issues, frequently delivering lengthy and incorrect responses while evading direct queries. Challenges in handling complex commands have raised internal doubts about its readiness for a widespread rollout.

In an bid to tackle the problem, Amazon is considering a "complete revamp of Alexa's technology stack." Although details are currently scarce, the Business Insider report mentioned that the company is encountering challenges in this process. Individuals who contributed to Classic Alexa are attempting to safeguard their work by urging those involved with Remarkable Alexa to utilise the existing infrastructure, leading to a potentially more complex technology stack and internal tensions within the team.